Rupert Murdoch says blogs are threat to his empire and revenue

[KurtNYC]

In a speech to American editors in Washington, Mr Murdoch issued a stark warning to the industry, arguing that the web was "a fast-developing reality we should grasp".

He said consumers wanted "control over the media, instead of being controlled by it", pointing to the proliferation of website diaries known as "blogs" and message boards.

He goes on to note that his newspapers are losing out to the net:
The migration of readers online was also affecting advertising revenues, Mr Murdoch said. "The threat of losing print advertising dollars to online media is very real. In fact, it's already happening, particularly in classifieds."

http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1459697,00.html

[Pacifist Patriot]

1. I'll be immature here...

HAPPY DANCE!!!!

[hector459]

61. Is there any better reason to support bloggers?

Watch out, though. Rupert is trying to figure out how he can buy the bloggosphere.

[Pacifist Patriot]

65. He'll have to pry my blog from my cold dead fingers...

which will be clutching my booby trapped keyboard.

[EVDebs]

92. "Blog Against The Empire" !!!!!!

Death by a thousand cuts !!!!!!!!

[SammyBlue]

78. Holy freaking jumping Jesus!

Shut the hell up Rupert. . .your FNC claims to be the moral compass of the country, yet your Fox Channel puts on "World's Horniest Gorillas" and "World' Biggest Boobs and Pricks" reality shows all the time.

Temptation Island anyone?

Who Wants To Marry A Multi-Millionaire?

The only two things you've ever produced that doesn't resemble what I leave in the toilet every morning are "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy."

[Robeysays]

121. HELL YA!

[zann725]

130. Sorry, but even those two are still "flushable."

n/t

[Bullshot]

133. Absolutely freakin' brilliant post SammyBlue!!!

Couldn't have said it better.

[bullwinkle428]

139. More for the list...

-Who's Your Daddy?

-Married by America

-Man vs. Beast

-When Animals Attack

-When Pets Attack

-The Simple Life (I, II, & III)

[Knight of Ni]

141. What about "Arrested Development" & "Andy Richter Controls The Universe?"

Just sayin'.

[AlCzervik]

2. And Murdoch is a threat to democracy.

[WearyOne]

28. please read the speech in full at this address..you will be outraged

http://webdiary.smh.com.au

The Guardian only gives highlights..Murdoch makes references to 'Switfboat Incident and departure of Dan Rather"..he's up to something and it aint good

[yurbud]

38. what bothered you besides that and calling Fox News objective?

The rest of it can only be viewed as positive.

[nadinbrzezinski]

44. Well let me find the adecuate quote`

At the same time, we may want to experiment with the concept of using bloggers to supplement our daily coverage of news on the net. There are of course inherent risks in this strategy - chief among them maintaining our standards for accuracy and reliability. Plainly, we can’t vouch for the quality of people who aren’t regularly employed by us – and bloggers could only add to the work done by our reporters, not replace them. But they may still serve a valuable purpose; broadening our coverage of the news; giving us new and fresh perspectives to issues; deepening our relationship to the communities we serve. So long as our readers understand the distinction between bloggers and our journalists.

Now if I am readying this right, the old fox wants to coopt blogers before we become the threat... we have already become.

The old stooge is afraid of democracy and now will attempt to control that rising and new revolution on the web. He is up to some'thing allraight. And whne it involves Murdoch, it ain't good.

[yurbud]

50. if his blogs suck... they won't fly

[nadinbrzezinski]

57. That ain't the point

he want editorial control... they know that they are rapidly loosing power.

They also realize that the war of independence was preceded by scream sheets... guess what blogs are.

[yurbud]

75. how is he going to get that over all the gazillion of us?

even if he bought the blog sites like blogspot, etc, people could still post blogs on their own.

[FighttheFuture]

143. Let's see.... Legislate, restrict fair use, only licensed "approved"...

journalist (i.e Jeff Gannon/Guckert), the rest will have no immunity of source confidentiality. Then set up a few of the more vocal ones, raid them, shut them down and throw them in jail for not revealing the source.

Next, technology. How to block/buy chunks of the net. Break it up into regions with tolls to cross over. This can retard sharing of info. Big corps will have free passes... etc.

So many ways, all evil, like Rupert!

[0rganism]

138. FOX news sucks, but it flies too

Murdoch proved once and for all that journalistic standards and ethics are unimportant as long as you can promote your slant to advertisers.

[Selteri]

66. Not even a mild surprise.

"Certainly, I didn't do as much as I should have after all the excitement of the late 1990s. I suspect many of you in this room did the same, quietly hoping that this thing called the digital revolution would just limp away.

"Well it hasn't... it won't... and it's a fast-developing reality we should grasp as a huge opportunity to improve our journalism and expand our reach."

snip

A rise in population had masked a relative decline in the TV age, he said, while in the 1990s profitability had held up in spite of circulations falling, further lulling the industry into a false sense of security.

"But those days are gone," he warned. "The trends are against us...so unless we awaken to these changes, which are quite different to those of five or six years ago, we will, as an industry, be relegated to the status of also-rans."

-=-=-=-=-=-

At least he's honest that he's afraid of the digital revolution and hoped it would limp away. Personally I had to wonder how much he was involved with the popping of the internet revolution bubble

And those statements are correct, though again, it seems more that he's realizing that Bloggers and the Web is something that he can't control no matter how hard he might want to, which is true, even today the net is not something that any country can truly stop. I allows ideas an information to pass without being censored or controlled by jerks like him. In essence, the net has replaced our broken news media because it has allowed people to know the news media is broken.

[JDPriestly]

109. Fox has no one to blame but himself for the decline

in confidence in the news media:

Young people's attitudes towards newspapers were "especially alarming", he said. "Only 9% describe us as trustworthy, a scant 8% find us useful, and only 4% of respondents think we're entertaining."

And who is to blame? Fox news in all its forms and manifestations and Fos news's lies to begin with.

[WearyOne]

128. spot on..Murdoch wants control of the internet..be prepared to fight him

he's frothing at the mouth at the advertising revenue he dreams he could get his hands on.

Don't ask me how he could or will try to do it buy this guy fights dirty and fights to win.

Hell, he had a war in Iraq just to sell newspapers !

[BobF]

135. He can't buy us all...

...'cause we're not for sale.

Bottom Line is that Rupert Murdoch is scared.

That is a Good Thing.

[DrDebug]

47. Awesome stuff.

I grew up in a highly centralized world where news and information were tightly controlled by a few editors, who deemed to tell us what we could and should know
(...)
9 percent describe us as trustworthy

etc. etc.

In a weird way he is being honest. He wants total and complete control and he is starting to loose grip. Indeed this is not good... He is up to something

[tsuki]

63. Thank you. This is my fav...

"At the same time, we may want to experiment with the concept of using bloggers to supplement our daily coverage of news on the net. There are of course inherent risks in this strategy - chief among them maintaining our standards for accuracy and reliability. Plainly, we can’t vouch for the quality of people who aren’t regularly employed by us – (emphasis mine)

Rupert, first clue, you can vouch for the quality of people who are regularly employed by you.

[AuntiBush]

114. Just Read that Diary... Murdock & Co can kiss my...

A*S! He's not whining out here on purpose.

IMHO? Let it happen on purpose... thanks for the warning.

Talk about the "Fear Factor." That's all they have, "fear." The question is, do we buy into that "fear?"

[seventythree]

81. applause!

[smirkymonkey]

116. Here, here!

I wish that old windbag would just die already.

[Q3JR4]

3. Aaaawwwww!

Listen to him pout.

[fooj]

129. Boo Hoo. Boo Hoo Hoo.

:smoke:

[wildeyed]

4. "control over the media, instead of being controlled by it"

No, actually, I just want the truth.

[ewagner]

8. Tells us where he's coming from

The media controls the public in his view......

wrong, wrong, wrong!

[Robeysays]

122. America is quite different when it comes to "media"

in other markets i.e. Europe, Asia, Australia etc... the media usually tells spined news or lies for one political party that it wants to win. this is well know in these areas of the world, they expect the news to be selling politics. Murdoch is from Australia where this kind of behavior is totally acceptable. in America though we expected our news to be the truth and always has, thats why we are rejecting so called "MSM". the reason we expect this is because our media is the longest to go with out governmental control. other markets went through countless dictatorships, revolutions, usually totalitarian that censored the media, i.e. the soviet bloc, china, fascism in Europe, dictators in S.A. etc.

[pscot]

5. And this is a bad thing?

Why

[Initech]

91. Because...

When you think about it, Fox News is nothing more than the media arm of the GOP. Murdoch probably sees this as just another threat by liberals to bring down the ruling party.

[joefree1]

6. You bet we are Mr. Murdoch

And we're gonna get ya someday. :evilgrin:

[Crunchy Frog]

7. I wonder what he's planning on trying to do about it.

That's what worries me.

[WearyOne]

19. I;ve put a link to his full speech in my post below..this is worse than

you think

[AuntiBush]

113. Ditto - Anyone Smell a Smirking Chimp/KKKCarl Thing, here?

They are up to something.

snip

"Describing himself as a "digital immigrant" in contrast to his young daughters, who would be "digital natives", he said the internet was "an emerging medium that is not my native language."

end snip

I've got some language for ya Murdock that you'd comprehend. But, you don't deserve a second of my breathe!

Caught a tail end of this on C-Span earlier today; something about "blogging" and taking control over non-authentic editors. The Chimp mentioned it briefly today as well. Not good.

Silence of our Freedom of Speech. It was only a matter of time before they'd try to silence us out here.

[Tyler Durden]

9. My Late Dad is under the ground and Demons walk the earth.

My Dad died at 65, hale and hearty except for the cancer that ate him.

If cancer had a conscience, Murdoch would rot to death before one's very eyes.

[CornField]

10. As a former journalist, I will say it

Just as the Pony Express met its extinction when technology advanced, newspapers are now meeting theirs. Traditional print media still holds a place, but not necessarily in the news market. The media will either adapt or go the way of Pony Express.

I work extensively with government agencies now. One of the large pushes is to change state and federal laws in relation to public notices. These are now mandated to appear in newspapers. The amount of money spent on public notices is staggering. Government entities would like to see those guidelines changed to allow on-line publication of public notices, dependent on the number of internet connections within their communities.

Kansas City, Missouri has moved several items which were formerly posted at public notices to the web site (bid announcements, for instance) and have saved the tax payers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

As you can imagine, newspapers of all sizes are fighting this initiative tooth and nail. The change would dry up a large portion of their revenues. (For some smaller papers, the public notice revenues are more than commercial advertising.)

[w4rma]

16. Journalists have to live and need to be paid a salary for their work.

Bloggers most often are blogging as a hobby and have other means of income. We here at DU need paid journalists to research and write the articles we talk about here. I would not support the public notice change that you are talking about because that helps pay our journalists while posting the notices on a website will not help pay a single journalist.

[murielm99]

21. But why should such a large portion of their pay come from

people's taxes? That is where the money for notices comes from.

[wildmanj]

23. need to be paid

what journalist----all i hear is a bunch of garbage and i refuse to be influenced by the people who tell a lie and hide the truth---THE TRUTH IS OUT HERE---SEEK AND YEE SHALL FIND--KNOCK AND IT WILL BE GIVEN UNTO YOU---we need another cnn of 20 years ago

[CornField]

33. Between you and I and the broom closet -- Journalists make very little

A general assignment reporter probably makes about as much as the grill guy at Burger King. Actually, the grill guy probably makes more.

The hours are long, crazy and the stress is also typically over the top. There are perks -- free admission to various events, free trips to cover story angles. For me, they stopped being enough. I made more my first year as a freelancer than I made in my first three years as a full-time journalist. (Want to know know why so many are so easily bought?)

[flyarm]

41. just think how much they would make if they did

the ground work and told the truth..??

woodward and bernstein come to mind!!

fly

[Clark2008]

89. Small town reporters don't have the time or the resources to

become another Woodward and Bernstein.
They're too busy writing four stories a day for the local newspaper, as required by their editor whilst making about $18,000 a year.
I speak from experience on this issue.

Maybe if we paid younger reporters better, some of the good ones - who believe in writing the truth - would stay in the business and mature into fine big-city professionals - instead of going into PR or something totally different to make ends meet.

I have a degree in communications, and am an out-of-work marketing professional who just interviewed for a totally different position at a government facility and, if I get the job, will be making the most money I've every seen in my life - and this is an entry-level position!

Oh - and :hi: flyarm. We've missed you around the KOEB. :)

[flyarm]

118. hello sweet clark!!

:hi: hi honey..i had a bit of an accident so haven't posted too much..fell down some stairs..and they got the better of me!!

i sure hope you get the job...you will be in my thoughts...

and my fingers and toes will be crossed for you to get the job!!

sweet clark!!:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:

i will be back on koeb next week!!

just couldn't ..till now!

fly

[SlowDownFast]

96. woodward's a sellout now

with what his latest books glamourizing Fuckface at War.

[Just Me]

103. Bullshit!!! Get off!!!

:grr:

[murielm99]

20. My God, I didn't even think about that aspect of it.

When I worked for a public library, we spent a small fortune on required notices. We would not have been given the tax money to operate if we hadn't published.

We had a board member who was always talking to our state rep about getting the laws changed, but I think he just humored her. He wouldn't have wanted to jeopardize his newspaper endorsements.

Newspapers may end up like railroads. Railroads used to be the kings of transportation in this country. Railroads still have their place, but things have evolved. (Actually, I wish we would use more rail transport, as energy sources get more scarce. It makes sense).

Newspapers will continue to be with us, like railroads. They will just be used differently. They deserve it. They got too complacent, and misplaced the truth.

[Clark2008]

90. Newspapers aren't the problem.

In fact, they're much better at reporting the truth than the TeeVee news.
Most Americans get their local news from their hometown newspapers and those reporters honestly believe in getting all sides of the story. Please, don't compare some journalist who is making $20,000 a year to the talking head pundits on television.
That said, I think there will always be hard copy newspapers - but most, as we've noticed with the registration process, know that putting their wares online is where the revenue is. It's evolving, but the written word isn't going anywhere - much to the Murdoch's of the worlds' chagrins.

[Pacifist Patriot]

67. Back in 1993 I warned Dean Singleton of this.

[tsuki]

72. For our local newspaper, it would cripple them. Every government

announcement must be advertised in the newspaper, meetings, tax changes, zoning changes, laws, etc. Every week, the paper is full of the county advertising. It would kill our county newspaper if the school board and the county commissioners went to internet advertising only.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

11. my heart breaks for him

:sarcasm:

[Just Me]

12. NAA NA NA NAA BOO!

(((((SNORT)))))

He never deserved the power he acquired since he has clearly demonstrated his capacity to be revoltingly irresponsible with that power.

Hey, Murdoch: hell, yeah, the consumers (that would be us PEOPLE,...you know,...like human beings who are more than a mere tool for you to spend) want control over the media rather than being controlled by it -- DUH!!!!

Asshole. Blech!

[Must_B_Free]

13. noone going to rupertslist?

awwww...

[Liberal Veteran]

14. You'll inherit your reward soon enough you old disgusting fuck.

I don't know anything about heaven or hell, but I do know that you are old and reaching the end of your lifespan and you won't be able to take your "empire" with you.

[Hand]

15. Please... oh, please... Let him be right! nt

[KittyWampus]

17. As Computers Become Appliances For Downloading Pre-Approved

pablum.

[WearyOne]

18. Read this double-speak speech for what it is : a coded invitation to

other media barons to join him taking control of the internet and the massive advertising revenues that can be made.

( please read this speech in full here : http://webdiary.smh.com.au/
as the Guardian doesn't repeat all he said. Read his strange references to : " the Swiftboat incident. Or the swift departure of Dan Rather from CBS."..or his puke inducing .."objectively, fairly, and faster-paced. And the result was the Fox News" )

He can't do it alone but he can do with the handful of media thugs like him who are left.

I have this argument all the time with people who think the internet cannot be controlled : it was created by man and can be controlled by man : it's a matter of Murdoch and his ilk working out how and they will have Bush & Co assisting all the way.

People always make the mistake of thinking Murdoch is a newspaper man. He's a business buccaneer and has nothing but contempt for real journalist and the public.

[MsTryska]

88. technically i don't really see how one man can take control

of the internet.


and one man didn't create it - don't let Al Gore tell you otherwise. ;-) (that's a joke btw)

[CatholicEdHead]

104. FCC, buying up the companies that control the major nodes

The FCC could be used to censor certian web sites (like China does), if they take control of the companies/instiutions who control the major internet nodes, they can block "undeseriable" IP addresses through DNS servers.

We can have a Chinese model, and it will be "legal" when it eventually happens.

[Robeysays]

123. i never got that how do nodes on the internet work?

just wondering?

[Iterate]

131. Think of it as a spiderweb

At each intersection is a fast small computer, a router, that determines where to send the next little bit of information, which hops along the web to the next intersection. If one path is busy, it will use another, down the way until it reaches its destination address.

And welcome Robesays.

[MsTryska]

136. I find it highly doubtful that the companies

that control the equipment would allow that to happen.


this is the last home of rebels, from the top down.

[FloridaPat]

22. A light at the end of the tunnel. Now this made my day! Thanks

[spanone]

24. Wonderful.....Blog on America!!!!

[Canuckistanian]

25. Damn, I never thought of that!

Well, I'm going to be reading a lot more blogs and boycotting any Murdoch "products".

If he's hurtin', Im happy to speed it along.

[yurbud]

26. Letter with column going to LA Times

Rupert Murdoch says 18-34 year olds don't find the news media trustworthy OR entertaining, which means you are not only failing at your reason for existence, providing news, but also at your misguided info-tainment strategy.

Two of the successful British internet news sources he mentions, the BBC and the Guardian, differ markedly from their American counterparts in reporting the news regardless of whose ox is gored in the case of the BBC, and printing opinion pieces that are factual, written by the real players (not think tank PR hacks) and question the essence of the policy of those in power.

Real news and real, reasoned dissent.

I would buy a newspaper for that, and trust that I would hear about what's on Bush's iPod and what kind of bikini wax Arnold Schwarzenegger uses on his nipples on Entertainment Tonight.

I know you guys are in a bind; you don't want to scare away advertisers or get that flood of angry letters from toothless, hillbilly Rush Limbaugh fans and that nasty call from Karl Rove, but timidity makes you bland and bland doesn't sell.

You should make it your goal to get those angry letters and consider them a gauge of your success as long as your story is accurate and serves no interests other than giving the public NEWS they actually need to know for democracy to function.

[Robeysays]

124. great letter n/t

[Tsiyu]

27. Message to Rupie, baby:

I don't know about your lineage, Pops, but I come from a long line of American Patriots, who demand the truth and a press free from the seedy hand of you corporate gluttons.

Eat up. Yeah.

Eat, drink and be merry, because soon your lies will die.

::::evil Bwahahahahahahahaha:::: :evilgrin:

[libertypirate]

39. I had similar thoughts...

He's an asshole

http://benumbment.blogspot.com/2005/04/to-rmurdochnewscorpcom.html

[displacedtexan]

29. Call the WAAAAAAAAmbulance!

Murdoch hates bloggers for one simple reason: we can debunk his rag's lies and publish our findings lickity split.

If his "news" were truthful, blogs wouldn't be so popular!

[AuntiBush]

115. Murdock & Co are $$$ Political Talking Heads - not REAL REPORTERS

Bloggers are not under their control. But I'm telling all of you, somethings cooking and soon. And I'm hearing repeatedly today the same words, "what can be done about LIBERAL reporters," etc.

Murdoch put that out here to put us in a frinzy. He's worth too much $$ and the Smirking Chimp and KKKove are up to something.

I foresee something even worse coming. Freedom of Speech. Etc. Not good.

[flyarm]

30. heyyyyyyyy ruppert are the lies catching up to your

pocket book?? hey ya know what ruppert ..tough shit!!

maybe some people are willing to be your sheep...but many of us are not..and this people proves what i posted last night...

turn them off..

all of the crap turn it off..do not watch abc's new bible class called a tv show..do not be part of their brainwashing..just please..don't watch it..do not read their papers..who needs them when we can get the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth ..online!

just think how much power 53 million of us have if we collectively shut them off!!
do not let curiosity suck you in to the brainwashing...just shut em off!!

i put fox 2 years ago on child block ..4 months ago i added cnn to the child block..if they think they will get any money from me the are sorely mistaken...

and when i shut them off i took the time to write their advertizers telling them so..just imagine if 53 million of us did that??

power...ewwww weeee would we show them who "we the people" are..

as for murdock...watch out for him to try to shut us down...


hey ruppert...we are passing the crying towel out here in cyberspace for you ...not!!!!!!!!!!!!!

down with fox and cnn...we are now our own media!! and news!!!

and truth!!


fly

[HughBeaumont]

31. Serves Reagan Rupert Right.

That Republi-shill can kiss my ass if he thinks I'm sympathizing with him. He dug his own grave by creating a far-right-leaning station packed with opinionated sell-out non-journalists like Brit Hume, Neil Fatvuto and that asswipe Sean Hannity that think shouting your point (and debating loudly with glass-jawed, easily caving liberals that won't tell you to your face that you're full of Bush-shit) is equivalent to news-reporting.

Your station lied to protect a spoon-fed illuminati spawn and his cabal of warmongers, corporate panderers and oil whores and now you're upset because a majority in the world internet community is giving your old ass a margin call? FUCK OFF. Rot next to your treasonous hero Reagan with that noise, Rup-turd.

[UdoKier]

32. What's he worried about?

He'll be dead in a few years anyway. Funny how right-wingers are so obsessed with building empires, even when they are so close to the end...


You can't take it with you, ASSHOLE!

[SlowDownFast]

98. my thoughts exactly -

"He'll be dead in a few years anyway. Funny how right-wingers are so obsessed with building empires, even when they are so close to the end..."

It's all fucking greed and ego for these reptiles.

[applegrove]

34. Asshole, that is what the net is all about. If your news programs do

not inform, then you are out.

Did you think it was only the jobs that would be outsourced? Did you think it was only the middle class that would be outsourced? The internet allows for newspapers to be outsourced within their own countries.

Disraeli said that Conservative government was 'organized hypocrisy'. Now that the MSM is not allowed to report on the hypocrisy (ie getting to the truth) we thinking and reading news consumers are moving elsewhere.

This is what happens when you go after the majority of your consumers. The people who were interested in your news buddy were liberals and people dependent on information. As soon as the information got bad.. we left.

Enjoy those faux news viewers. I'm sure you can make an empire out of them. (though it would have to be something other than a news empire..since they like to be spoon-fed entertainment).

[rockedthevoteinMA]

35. I think I'll start one then...

:evilgrin: or maybe fifty.

[paineinthearse]

36. Blogs exist because people want the truth.

:nopity:

[nadinbrzezinski]

37. He is pouting,

what loosing control of the kids?

[Old and In the Way]

40. Trouble ahead for Murdoch's empire...

He's beginning to feel the effects of his 20th century media model starting to crumble. Good. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. I'll bet his portfolio is way overvalued and losing more everyday. Love to see this guy drown in his debt schedule. Another Republican who never understood the media paradigm shift the internet presented. Thanks Al!

[nadinbrzezinski]

42. Read his speech it is a mix of good and scary news

Hmm he wants to control blogging, I ain't shitting you

[JerseygirlCT]

43. Wow. "Control over the media, instead of being

controlled by it".

If that doesn't say it all.

[tsuki]

80. I think he "sees" it, but doesn't "get" it. Until the written word, all

news was two-way, oral. Since that time, all news has been a one-way transmission. The printing press changed the one-way transmission by taking it out of the scribes hands and placing it in the common hands. TeeVee and Radio only changed the one-way transmission vehicle.

The Internet has made news two-way again. This is the most revolutionary change in social history since the ABC's. IMHO

[gordianot]

45. Oh No, he lost Rosebud. n/t

[freethought]

46. BOOO HOOO! OH BOOO THE HOOO!

What a jerk!

[Bethany Rockafella]

48. Those holligans won't be able to control us anymore.

They are paying attention. But we better pay more attention to them because they will not give up.

[leesa]

49. WooHoo! Another greedy, 'poor me' rich bastard

[Imagevision]

51. Do we really still care what ABC-NBC-CNN-FOX report??

All of them are constantly losing credibility in the news they choose as noteworthy for the American people to swallow -- Many of the Blogs actually post realtime interviews often times with actual pictures and video.

<snip>"He said consumers wanted "control over the media, instead of being controlled by it", pointing to the proliferation of website diaries known as "blogs" and message boards".

The American media? --Freedom of the press? -- exactly to report what their owners tell them as they too have been "instrcted"!

Our Government has started their own version of "Fahrenheit 4.51" and I believe the Dems are letting them get away with it.

How do you control a mass of people?? ...fear, it's always been that way.

Bush this week had a secret meeting with 33 families who lost someone in Iraq at Fort Hood, but the press wasn't allowed in?? --yah!, I'd say Fahrenheit 4.51 here we go again! --except this time it isn't, Hitler?...

[natrat]

71. for that matter the New York Times

I dont read or even look at newspapers anymore but i happened to see the times cover testerday :

U.S. Troops Get a Warm Thank You From President Bush
with a photo of all these happy soldiers

what a crock it doesnt say military widows ripped him a new one later

American media is a pathetic joke

[Robeysays]

125. that is a funny comment, in my English class we just finished...

"lord of the flies"... poor Simon and piggy :cry:, anyway my teacher just out of college. ask the class a question,"how do you think jack can turn a democracy under a strong leader (Ralph) in to a murderous tribe?". no one in class could answer, then i said through fear, fear of the beast. he said "WOW." and said that he never even thought of that, also his class of 200 in college never even thought of that. he always thought that it was through protection and providing food.


any way to be way off topic you have to read that book it will blow your mind.

[KurtNYC]

137. Welcome Robey

And good answer re: fear. Kind of surprised that others in his classes have not said 'fear.'

[Daphne08]

52. Our media began going to hell when Murdock

became a citizen in 1985! I cannot abide what's happened to the media in this country as a direct result of that man.

[DinahMoeHum]

53. Good, let's hit him again, hit him again, harder, harder.

:kick:

[earth mom]

54. Welcome to the REAL WORLD-Rupert!

Where people are smart enough to know a lie when they hear one and aren't willing to listen to it! :puke:

[lovuian]

55. People found around the propoganda!!!

and its free!!!

[Selteri]

56. Wah, he's threatened by the people! N/T

[Vincardog]

58. All I can say is Don't read on if you have sensitive eyes

FUCK CORPORATE CONTROLLED PROPAGANDA and May all it's distributors wither and DIE.

[SlowDownFast]

101. I second the motion! n/t

[Robeysays]

126. AMEN!

[go west young man]

59. Here let me help him stress out a bit.....

www.TV4all.com and www.webtvlist.com and www.comedycentral.com
Theres free tv all over the web. Lets shut off that cable folks and quit paying for the promotion of war and greed. Scumbag Murduch is complacent in the deaths of 100,000s of people. His day can't come soon enough.

[Generator]

60. Housewives in pajamas a threat to Mr. Fox propaganda machine?

I'm dreaming again.

And my husband thinks being on DU is pointless. HAH! I'm an informed housewife in pajamas and threatening the propaganda machine. Take that Daddio.

:party:

[Pacifist Patriot]

68. Sometimes I'm not even in pajamas.

Or is that too much information?

[Robeysays]

127. thats cool, im nude... what it is a 92 degrees out side at 9:00pm

(i live in AZ)


edit: i noticed that this is about housewives, im not im a guy so yeah... um what ever.

[Just Me]

106. Ours is an INCLUSIVE and participatory and knowledgeable reflection,...

,...of real people (human beings rather than mere "consumers") who challenge these profit-seeking, self-centered, power-mongering barbarians!!!

WOOOO HOOOO!!! Humanity is WORTH more than these predatory buttwipes!!!!

[natrat]

62. well maybe if you had told the truth you rotten fucker

[Mojambo]

64. Be wary. When people like Murdoch feel threatened they attack savagely. nt

[Pacifist Patriot]

69. That is a very valid concern.

[Catherine Vincent]

70. Word.

[ReadTomPaine]

102. And the response to that is hitting back even harder.

These guys don't do well on defense. Once the tide turns they wash away on the life raft of self preservation.

Perhaps a series of coordinated, high level investigations similar to Elliot Spitzer's recent work, by a similarly motivated, progressive state AG. Keep them in court and paralyzed in litigation for next decade or so while the market eats them alive.

Seems quite fair and balanced to give Murdock and Ailes a taste of the Ken Starr treatment.

RTP

[Labdad95]

73. Humpty Dumpty

Poor Rupert, he gonna fall down and go boom.

[SammyWinstonJack]

107. Couldn 't happen to a more deserving a$$hole

:woohoo: Welcome to DU. :hi:

[rman]

74. when they speak to their own, they tell it like it is

"consumers want control over the media, instead of being controlled by it"

..knowing that very few people would learn about what they say to their own.
So it's in the Guardian, but how many people read that paper? How many Americans read that paper? Some do, but not nearly enough to make an impression on the public mind. And they know that.

[Book Lover]

76. Heh. Heh. Heh.

Baby, you think tech is just about your stupid Blackberry? This is the year that everything will change, Rupe. It's called capitalism and free markets; start making a better product (how about trying the truth?) and your ad revenue just may start up again.

[tex-wyo-dem]

77. Simply put, Rupe...

the PEOPLE see through the propaganda lies you've been whoring...

As well as your other copycat, fat-cat buddies at Time-Warner.

Simply put, y'all can just go to hell.

[PowerToThePeople]

79. Well, comcast already

limits upload bandwidth. They allow you to consume bandwidth at massive amounts, but serve at very small amounts.

Hopefully, within a few years, we will have fibre to all homes. Then we can run our own local servers and maintain complete control. You never know, some blogosphere could go under and you would lose all your work.

Oh, and WAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! Boo hoo Murdock, you fascist, lieing, bastage.

[MsTryska]

82. And Murdoch is a threat to all things American.

ergo - rupert murdoch can kiss my ever-lovin' patriotic american ass.

[Drewskie]

83. ...

Nothing is stopping him from making his own blog and Fox already has a considerable online presence so piss off Rupert.

[ktowntennesseedem]

84. Looks like a kid who just got his sandcastle knocked over...

by a bunch of mean blogger bullies. What a great pic!

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[dave29]

85. Holy Democracy, Fatman!

the people's airwaves might fall back into their hands!

[Joe Chi Minh]

86. Apart from the Gospels,

I wonder if this is the best news ever for mankind. I can't remember anything to match it. Overt Nazism always carried the seeds of its own early defeat.

[SlowDownFast]

105. obviously, if Murdoch's concerned about this,

that is surely a sign that the blogosphere represents a serious threat to the MSM Propaganda Machine.

[Kellanved]

87. Inventing competition to avoid anti-trust breaking up his empire

The Microsoft trick. Next please.

[Karenina]

144. Bada-bing...

Bada-BOOM!!!

[Mr. Flibble]

93. Free speech cannot be bought. Sorry Rupe.

[joytomme]

94. Rupert the Goon

As I've said before in Ratfuck Diary, Rupert Murdock, Rev. Moon, The Carlyle Group and the Roman Catholic Church own and run the GOP. Murdoch is right to fear blogs. Blogs are telling the truth. In the past, Murdoch bought whatever power he has. Blogs frustrate the hell out of him. If he's up to something, it's trying to figure out either how to buy the well-known blogs or how to put them out of business.

But since his side also uses the blogosphere, it's unlikely he'll be able to put us out of business, and you can't buy something that's free.

The opposition doesn't like the GOP and the GOP doesn't like the GOP. The flesh-eating virus called corruption is starting to devour its host. Then we can look forward to it devouring itself.

Ratfuck Diary (http://ratfuckdiary.blogspot.com)

[Captain Centrist]

95. does it really matter what rupert is running his mouth about

First of all, there are tons of ignoramus conservative blogs out there and plenty of right wing dumbasses who unfortunately have editorial sounding boards in newspapers and on tv. I cant really see how rupert's ideology itself is threatened but yea, to see this freakin billionaire whining about how his revenue might be cut, it's not surprising. Shutting off the blood supply to this godforsaken tumour on our society, this conservative media we have, is more than appropriate. Better than writing letters or whatever it was that dumbass Amanpour was blabbering about.

The only control with the media that needs to be talked about is the media controlling itself. The media doesn't control the people. And it certainly doesn't go the other way around. Of course, it's hard to adhere to these ideals today when we have so many morons in the media. You had misinformed voters voting for president dipshit because of the incredibly awful job the media did, especially in manufacturing journalistic balance. Thanks for giving us the good news that you're losing money Rupert, now go ahead and feel free to die.

[PATRICK]

97. FOX chat rooms

those pioneers of political talk, heaped scorn, abuse and lack of discussion into their rooms. Murdoch helped create his own problem by stampeding(along with almost all other media sites where obnoxious RW jerks were never moderated) the audience to productive, non-abusive and liberating sites where civilization is becoming a work in progress.

The lazy idiots again left a VACUUM and froze out discussion as probably was intended by many. That VACUUM we subsequently find out extends into the American News media itself and their individual cerebellums. That VACUUM is the next thing being filled while these empires of hot air, trivia and domination moan indignantly.

Make no mistake. The abandoned fields of free discussion, truth and investigation constitute a gold rush similar to the 1849ers situation. Most charging in are rather empty headed and will not prosper. If WE don't build a fair media out of this the big guys will figure a way to move in and close it off.

If there was some justice in this world the Murdochs would go broke and then to jail. The prestige of obsolescent hogs.

[scarletlib]

99. fu murdock & company you brought it on yourselves

[PeaceProgProsp]

100. That's why the FCC wants to regulate it, perhaps?

Man, wouldn't it be cool if bloggers got a big chunk of the advertising dollar?

[Cleita]

108. Like he needs more revenue. If he had played by the rules

of journalism to begin with then maybe the blogs wouldn't have come into their own.

My crocodile tears are flowing.

[deacon]

110. He's complaining about losing control of controlling

very strange. He is part of the surge in blogs, Fox news empowers blogs by they way they present "news". He and they have noone to blame but themselves.

Starve That Beast!

[MadisonProgressive]

111. He's senile

"He said he wanted to turns newspapers into "destinations" that rivalled the success of the internet portals, "the Yahoos, Googles, and MSNs".

I can only speak for my self but i spend virtually none of my internet time on those sites (save for google which I have on my browser toolbar. I don't think these people really understand the literally millions of sites on the internet which we all randomly visit simply by clicking on an interesting link.

[deacon]

112. It's all over for them, expecially after they intentionally ignored gannon

That was their last high noon and they lost the gunfight. They can't be trusted, they have zero credibility.

[deacon]

142. I agree 100%, Gannon was the high noon for cable news and they blew

it. They are washed up.

[GoreDean2008]

117. Murdoch Got It Right

And the citizen power will finish off the corporate media evil empire!

[BiggJawn]

119. If he didn't print nothing but LIES and BULLSHIT...

Maybe he'd sell more papers?

Oh, I get it...It's that "controlled by the media" thing, isn't it, Rupey ol boy?

We're not supposed to be discerning enough to be nauseated by your fucking bullshit masqurading as "News", we're just suppose to buy it because it's glitsy and shows Our Boy George with a huge manly package in that borrowed flight suit, right?

What a Capitalist. Puts Shit on a Stick then gets all pissy because the people aren't as stupid as his "Focus Group" said we are and won't buy it.

[chalky]

120. Hey! Mr. Dumass....

Did it ever occur to you that you DROVE us to the blogs with your unholy grip on the airwaves and obscene perversion of journalism???!!!???

My heart bleeds purple piss for your pain, Rupe.

[Bullshot]

132. See if you get any sympathy from me, Murdoch!

Of all of the brain-dead MSMs in this country, yours is the biggest! Your media led the charge of the assinine TV lineups that oversaturate the airwaves. Your right-wing "news" division is a total joke and I've avoided watching it for over a year, now.

I'd like to see the day your empire crumbles to the point where you're scraping bugs off the sidewalk for your dinner!

Yeah, I know that'll never happen, but I can dream, can't I?

[passy]

134. I think he sees what is coming. And that's major political change.

First of all, Fox gives its viewers what they want, infotainment, as far as the right wing lean, it's a lot easier to make the news controversial and entertaining that way than showing a Lefty whining about hippie issues.

Murdoch always goes for the lowest common denominator.
His speech talks about how they must invest in the online versions of their newspapers or they will loose advertising revenues.
That is his only worry, he is trying to find ways to keep his newspaper business afloat, he wants to make newspaper sites more attractive to young users simply to expose them to advertising.
And he realizes that blogs as well as other news outlets such as DU where people can discuss the news and find related information, are a threat to his business.

Now the good news from his speech is that he realizes that newspapers have to give people the news they deserve not simply some dumbed down summaries of local or world events.
"This is a polite way of saying that reporters and editors think their readers are stupid. In any business, such an attitude toward one’s customers would not be healthy. But in the newspaper business, where we rely on people to come back to us each day, it will be disastrous if not addressed.

As one study said: “Even if the economics of journalism work themselves out, how can journalists work on behalf of a public they are coming to see as less wise and less able?”

I’d put it more dramatically: Newspapers whose employees look down on their readers can have no hope of ever succeeding as a business."

If one looks at Murdoch role in government change, such as his highly popular and influential British newspaper "the Sun" witching which party it supported just ahead of the general election of 1997, one can assume that he could easily do the same thing this time in the US.
Maybe I am being too hopeful but it could happen, not many political observers could have predicted that he would back Tony Blair in 1997, but he did and probably helped him win.
He is a wise man if not necessarily a good man, who has good foresight, I think he sees that things are achanging and he doesn't want to be on the loosing team, he might suddenly be a lot less loyal to the * administration.
Being an astute business man he also realizes that the US is doing extremely badly economically and is heading for a crash.
People will not buy newspapers when they are struggling to keep their house or their jobs.

[0rganism]

140. not a political change, but a cultural one

It's no accident that the news outlets are actively promoting blogs, especially those sympathetic to their desired editorial frames. This isn't seen as a threat or a challenge, it's just another way to promote the zeitgeist.

For its part, the blogosphere would prefer (insofar as anything so diffuse can have a perceivable preference) to be considered dangerous, outlaw, grassrootsy, and fringy, so those bloggers who seek corporate sponsorship will have to remain sufficiently mainstream in content while still presenting the appearance of an outside POV.